It was the sixteenth day since the guerrillas had retreated into the forest. When the strike in Ice Valley City began to take a turn, Mr. Guimo, a battle-hardened veteran, had sensed the danger and swiftly organized the Sons of Loha and the union leaders to withdraw. Before the Alliance security forces and corporate guards could close in around them, more than three thousand people had managed to follow Mr. Guimo into the dense jungle.
But the true rulers of this country would never let them go. In fact,
in the eyes of military-industrial conglomerates like Furnace Fort and Thunder God, the Sons of Loha joining forces with the unionists to organize peaceful strikes were far more dangerous than the Sons of Loha who formed terrorist groups.
Even if infighting among politicians kept the Alliance government from reaching a decision for the time being, the big corporations would still make Guimo their top target for elimination.
So, over the past two weeks, before the rebels who had retreated into the great forest even encountered the Alliance army, they had been forced to face Furnace Fort's fully armed pursuers. These mercenaries weren't regular soldiers, but they had every weapon regular troops did, apart from a handful of heavy weapons and alchemical gear. More importantly, they didn't play by the rules or obey the law, and their methods were naturally far more ruthless than those of regular troops.
The group of more than three thousand could just barely evade surveillance thanks to the dense old-growth forest and its shifting terrain, but they were still too large a target.
So, with no other choice, Guimo ordered them to split up and flee.
"They're after me. If even one of you can get away, then get away. That way, we'll at least preserve some